Category Archives: Saints

The Nature of Love

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: February 25, 2010
“True love is like the flame of a candle. However many candles you light from the flame, the initial flame remains unaffected. It doesn’t lessen at all. And every freshly lit candle has as much flame as the others do.” - Elder Epiphanios (Theodoropoulos) of Athens (1930-1989)
Posted in Saints | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual battles must bear the stamp of honest love and humility…

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: February 19, 2010
“Spiritual battles must bear the stamp of honest love and humility. Only he who bears this stamp doesn’t notice the difficulties of this life, nor the villainy of satan, nor the animosity that his minions show.” - Elder Amphilochios (Makris) of Patmos (1889-1970)
Posted in Saints | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Forgive Us…A Blessed Lent to One and All!

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: February 14, 2010
In the spirit of the Lenten struggle, we offer another quote from Elder Amphilochios of Patmos: “In the hour in which we are tempted we must be patient and pray. Temptation is a clever craftsman. He is able to make small things loom large. Temptation disquiets, saddens and creates external battles. He knows many arts. He [...]
Posted in Saints | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“When man partakes of Holy Communion he receives power and is enlightened…”

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: February 6, 2010
“When man partakes of Holy Communion he receives power and is enlightened, his horizons widen and he feels joy. Each person experiences something different, analogous to his disposition and the flame of his soul. One person feels joy and rest, another peace, another a spirit of devotion and another an inexpressible sympathy towards all things. [...]
Posted in Saints | Leave a comment

“The words of preachers today have the effect of throwing turpentine on a fire…”

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: February 2, 2010
“The words of preachers today have the effect of throwing turpentine on a fire. The poor and unlettered laity have been abandoned and now don’t listen. They need to see good works and lives of Christian love… they need to feel that their brother is co-suffering in their pain. Only through love for them and [...]
Posted in Saints | Leave a comment

Avatar and the Saints

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: January 29, 2010
I finally went to see Avatar a few days ago and was struck by one aspect in particular…a certain similarity between the Na’vi’s relationship to creation and the “right relation” that is renewed through the holy lives of the Saints (St. Seraphim’s bear and St. Gerasimos’s lion are the most obvious examples). James Cameron even [...]
Also posted in Films | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Remarkable Story of an Appearance of St. Herman

By Herman A. Middleton | Published: January 27, 2010
I recently discovered this on a friend’s Facebook page and thought it worth sharing. This took place at Holy Resurrection church in Claremont, NH: “Sometime ago, we invited a local “tree surgeon”, Leo M., to cut down a couple of dead trees in the back of the church property. He came and worked with his wife, [...]
Posted in Saints | Tagged , , | Leave a comment